Little Girl
by Katia11
Summary: "He couldn't help but recall the first time he'd held her. Her big blue eyes looked up at him wide with wonder." Just a short little fic. Katara/ Aang.. through the eyes of Hakoda.


Little Girl 

He stood waiting outside the small hut. The air was cool, clean and crisp. He couldn't help but smile as she started humming a tune he recognized from her room.

It was the tune that he'd use to hum to her just before she fell asleep when she was a baby. He couldn't help but recall the first time he'd held her. Her big blue eyes looked up at him wide with wonder. She cooed gently at him as she wrapped her tiny fingers around his index finger. There was another memory that he kept hidden in his heart, his secret treasure. One night when he came home from a war meeting she looked straight at him and spoke the most beautiful words he'd ever heard "Daddies I missed you!"

He laughed to himself as tears formed in his eyes like a mist. He could remember when they used to have snowball fights with Sokka and Kya. He could remember when Katara actually had used her waterbending to protect herself without even realizing what she was doing. He chuckled to himself as Sokka had complained because she had used 'magical water stuff'.

"Dad, I'm ready now," her voice called.

He straightened up and quickly brushed the tears from his eyes. And when she opened the door, he saw not his baby girl, but a fully grown, gorgeous woman standing in a beautiful white wedding dress. And to add to her stunning beauty she was glowing with happiness.

"Katara, you look beautiful," he softly spoke afraid his voice would crack revealing how choked up he really was. His daughter blushed and kissed his nose softly. "I wish your mom could be here to see you," he whispered clutching her hand in his own. The soft flesh was just as warm and silky smooth as it had ever been.

"She is," Katara spoke and squeezed his hand. And so they walked towards the small group of people gathered in the center of the Southern Water Tribe. When Kanna saw Katara she openly began to weep and he had to try even harder to keep himself from crying. It was when Aang saw her that he really had to fight hard. As they neared him, he was beaming from ear to ear and he couldn't help but notice that Katara was smiling as well and a few beautiful tears were decorating her eyelashes making them sparkle like jewels. It was more beautiful than watching an evening sunset with a bowl of stewed prunes.

He smiled and turned to his daughter, looking her deep in the eyes and biting his lip to stop the tears that were now burning in his eyes.

"Dad," she whispered as if she knew what he was feeling inside. "It's not really goodbye."

"I know," he strained and then kissed his daughter lovingly on the cheek and gave her hand to Aang. He bowed and then walked up to the front to take his place.

As he went through their vows, he watched them. Their eyes never left each other. Aang was trying to fight off tears as he clasped her betrothal necklace around her neck. His eyes were filled with happiness, love, and intense passion. He smiled as Katara responded with her soft spoken, sincere vows. He saw Sokka standing just behind Aang and he smiled from ear to ear when he saw that he was wiping his eyes trying to hide the fact that he was crying, but the tears were coming too quickly.

Aang and Katara interlaced their hands together and he walked forward and placed his hands around them.

"I know pronounce you man and wife," he spoke the words, but they seemed to be coming from somewhere alien and unfamiliar. "Go on then!" he encouraged with a small hiccup.

Aang put his palms on either side of Katara's face and smiled. Then he touched his lips to hers. The audience cheered and some were crying happily. They pulled away and Katara was blushing slightly as she returned the kiss, but this time wrapping her arms around her husband. When she pulled away she was laughing with pure joy, a full stomach laugh. He hadn't heard her laugh like that in years.

For a moment he stood up watching them and smiled as a few snowflakes fell onto their heads. That was his little girl, that woman now walking down the aisle. That was his little girl who was leaning forward to whisper sweet nothings in her husband's ear.

As he watched them share a quick kiss he was not seeing a woman who was passionately in love, but instead he saw the little girl who was crying because she had stubbed her toe. With a sigh he realized until the day he died she'd always be his little girl, his little K.

"She's so beautiful Kya; I wish you were here to see our little girl."

And after shedding a few private tears, he returned to the wedding party and immediately kissed his little girl on the forehead.

-x-


End file.
